Last year, Wheeling Park High School Social Studies Teacher, Mr. Ryan Stanton, frequently hosted nearly 200 citizens on a monthly basis at Wheeling Park High School’s JB Chambers Performing Arts Center.
He offered a lecture based on the history of Wheeling, offering insight, sharing stories, and embracing student-led discussion.
The concept of the class, made a reality last year through a grant from Wheeling Heritage, mirrored after Stanton’s History of Wheeling elective, offered at Wheeling Park. A consistently packed elective coupled with phenomenal teaching led Ohio County Schools’ Public Relations Director to spin the idea to Stanton and write the grant.
The community loved the concept, and consistently attended the class led by Stanton and occasional guest speakers. “Ryan is an enigmatic teacher. He’s so incredibly knowledgeable, but he shares the information in such a way that you truly can’t stop listening and learning. He’s also incredibly humble and down to earth. It’s the perfect combination for a great Saturday morning of learning,” explains Butyn.
Hosted the first Saturday of every month, the community response remained positive and significant in numbers prompting Stanton to offer the class again for the upcoming school year. Classes are free to the public and are not linear, meaning a person can come and go when able as the classes are not connected.
“We also plan to stream the classes via a YouTube link as we did with last year’s classes. We have so many people living locally and nationally that have a special place in their heart for Wheeling,” states Butyn.
Stanton is thrilled to offer another opportunity for learning: “I’m very excited to bring the history of Wheeling back to the community. Last year I had a lot of fun meeting people who came from all over the area to learn, share their stories, and artifacts. For this year’s classes, I have planned all new material and content that I’m looking forward to sharing. I look forward to seeing last year’s participants and meeting newcomers, too!”
Ohio County Schools asks that interested community members register for the class at the link given at the end of this article. If you registered previously, there is no need to register again. “The registration asks for email and that is how we communicate the upcoming class date as well as any changes due to inclement weather or any special surprises like guest speakers or raffles,” explains Butyn. The first class of this upcoming year is scheduled for Saturday, September 6th, at 10:00. Classes are held at the JB Chambers Performing Arts Center.
Register here: www.tinyurl.com/HistoryofWheeling
